Cigarette lighter



Aug. 13, 1935o 1 K. LOEHR V CIGARETTE LIGHTER `FiledA Deo. 14, 1931 'MKM Patented Aug. 13, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CIGARETTE LIGHTER Leslie K. Loehr, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application December 14, 1931, vSerial No. 580,842

.s' claims. (ci. s1-1.1)

This invention relates to cigarette and cigar lighters and has particular reference to improvements in the construction, relative arrangement and combination of lighter parts which comprise the spark and name producing means or what may be termed the lighter head.

An object of the invention is to provide a lighter head unit of the character described which owing to the simplicity, compactness and particular shape and design and completeness thereof is capable of ap ication to lighter bodies of various kinds and apes without necessitating variations in the construction of the head or special and expensive constructions in said bodies.

A further object of the invention is to provide a lighter head which is relatively small yet highly efcient and superior to other constructions by reason of its comparative strength, durability, inexpensiveness and reliability of operation, and

also because of the ease with which it may be;

assembled and disassembled and serviced.

Yet another object of the invention is to4 provide a lighter of the character described wherein the spark and flame-producing means forming a unitary part of the complete lighter head serve in a particularly eiiicient manner as a-means for removably securing the lighter to a lighter body.

Another object is to provide a lighter unit such as describedl wherein the servicing thereof, such as the renewal of the flint, may be quickly and easily eiected without completely disassembling the head or necessitating removal of the head from the lighter body, and also without exposing the fluid containing portions of the lighter to the j,

atmosphere.

With the foregoing objects in-view, together with such other objects and advantages as may subsequently appear, the invention resides in the` p'arts, and in the combination, construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed and illustrated by Way of example in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a lighter constructed in accordance with the-invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the lighter showing the snufer raised, the lighter bodyvbeing broken away to show the manner of securing the' head to the body;

Figure 3 is a vertical section of moved from the body;

Figure 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken through the head of the lighter;

Figure 5 is a side elevation of a lighter head shown applied to a different type of body, the

the head relatter being broken away and shown in section;

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 5 of a modified form of the lighter head.

In one embodiment of this invention the lighter head, as shown in detail in the accompanying 5 drawing, generally comprises a small rectangular base plate 1 supporting spark means A and wick holding means B, which means also provide for detachably securing the head to a lighter body such for example as the one C, here shown.

With this arrangement, it will be noted that a complete lighter unit-of relatively small compass is provided with comparatively few and inexpensive parts. Such a unit, by reason of the use of the means A and B to secure the unit in place, '15 may be applied to various kinds of lighter bodies without requiring special and expensive constructions and parts in the latter, inasmuch as it is only necessary for purposes of securing the unit,

Vemployed to positively secure the head in place 25 and comprises a tubular wick guide v8 extended through an opening 9 near one end of the'base` plate 1.' A nut like enlargement I0 on the-upper end of the guide 8 rests on'the upper side of the plate 'I, holds the guide in place and provides for 30 turning thev guide whereby the lower externally threaded end I I thereof may be screwed into and out of securing engagement with the body C. 'I'he body C is provided in'its upper end witha screw threaded opening I2 to receive the end II of the wick guide, and it is apparent that on screwing up said guide, the plate I is secured to said body. A suitable wick I3 is carried in the body C and extendedthrough the guide 8 and a small boss I4 formed on the upper side of the 40 nut I0.

The wick is arranged in the usual manner in the'combustible iiuid chamber I5 of the body C and it is seen that access to said chamber for the filling thereof with combustible fluid is had through an opening I6 which is normally closed by a screw plug I'I.

It is now apparent that the wick tube or guide 8 is made to serve asa means for securing the head or lighter unit to a lighter body through 50 the simple expediency of forming screw threads' in the hole in the body through which the gwick tube extends.

The spark producing means A comprises an externally screw threaded ilint holding tube I9 in- 55 serted throughan opening 20 in the plate 'I and provided at its upper end with an enlargement 2| resting on the upper side of said plate. Ex' tending upwardly from said enlargement are posts 22 between which a steel spark wheel 23 is rotatably mounted on a pin 24 carried by said posts. This wheel has a serrated periphery disposed so as to contact with the ilint piece 25 carried by the tube I 9. A circular nut 26 is screwed onto the tube I9 and engages in a recess A2I eut in the under side of .the base plate 1. lIt should be noted that the nut is of greater diameter than the width of the plate 'I whereby the knurled periphery thereof is readily accessible for tightening andvloosening the nut. In assembling the means A, the nut is held in the recess and the tube I9 is /inserted through opening 20 and screwed through the nut until the unit is substantially tight, then the nut may be turned to set the Wheel in the proper position to direct sparks onto the wick I3. I

The nut 26 has a preferably integral tubular extension 28 depended therefrom, said extension cooperating with the lighter body whereby to assist in holding the head unit on said body. As here shown, the upper end of the body C has an opening 30 therein through which the extension 28 A projects into said body. A helical spring3| is housed in and engages thelower closed end of the tubular extension 28 so as to extend through the nut 26 and into the iiint tube I9. A pin 32 is urged upward by said spring and supports the flint 25 in yielding engagement with the periphery of the wheel 23'.

Means is provided tfo readily *extinguish the llame and to normally enclose the exposed portion of the wick I3. 'I'his means or snuier is arranged so as to be automatically moved clear of the wick upon rotating the wheel to vproduce the wick igniting sparks. As here shown, this means comprises a snuier cap 34 arranged to normally rest on the nut I so as to cover the upper end of the wick I3 and thereby prevent undue evaporationofvthe lighter fluid. A U-shaped member 35 is secured at its bight portion, being soldered or welded,- to one side of the cap 34 and is pivoted adjacent its free ends on the. pin 24. The opposed sides of this U-shapedme'mber frictionally engage with opposite sides of the wheel 23 wherel 'by on rotating said `-wheel in a clockwise direction,

as in producing thev spark, the u -shaped member will be moved by said wheel so as to swing the cap 34 upwardly clear of the wick. In this way, the wick is exposed substantially coincident with thedirection of the wick igniting sparks onto said wick. To extinguish the iiame the operator merely pushes the lcap 34 with his lnger, down- -ward over the wick. It should be noted that as the --snufter is can'ied by the spark producing means A it is necessary to use the nut 26 to set the tube I9 in such position as will cause the snufler to be properly aligned with the upper end ot the wick wherely the cap 34 may be moved into and out oi' positio to properly cover said wick.

It is now apparent that the lighter unit of this invention is subject. to being easily andv inex- Abodies of various sizes and shapes. bined with an elongated narrow pensively combined with or applied -to lighter body such as the one C, the head provides a lighter which can snuife'rl Such a lighter may be4 conveniently carried in the vest pocket in .the manner of. a

When comone hand by pencil, a clip D being provided to hold the lighter in the pocket.

- hold the clip in place.

'I'hat the head or lighter unit may be readily and easily applied to lighter bodies-of varying shapes is apparenton referring to Figure of the drawing wherein the body F is flat, Wide and e disk-like in form. In this arrangement, a screw threaded opening 39 also a plain opening 49 provide for attaching the head to the body.

A variational form of the invention is shown in Figure 6 wherein the lighter body G is similar to the one F except that it provides a bore 401 for the spring`4| which corresponds to the spring 3| of the first described form of the invention.

' The head of this variational form is the same as the head of the first d bed form except that the tubular extension 42 `oi the'nut 43 is short and open at its lowerend. This short extension 42 seats in a counter bore 44 and aids in maintaining the head on the body and also serves as a guide for`the spring 4I.

It is important to note that inservicing the l lighter, such as when renewing the iiint, it is only necessary to hold 'the nut 26, raise the snuier and then unscrew the int tube I9, the snuier thenV serving as a handle. The spring will remain' in the tubular holder and the in'- -sertion of the new ilint into the holder I9 may be easily effected :following which the holder I9 is `screwed as aforementioned back into place. Thus it isseen that it is unnecessary to remove the head from the body to replace the iiint and that the head need only be partially dismantled. A

further advantage is that the -uid containing portion of the lighter need not be exposed, and permit of evaporation of the iiuid when replacing the' nint.- i f I claim:

1. In a lighter, a lighter body having openings therein, one of said openings being screw threaded, an apertured base plate adapted to be removably secured to said body with the apertures thereof in registration with said openings, a screw threaded wick tube rotatably engaged in one of theapertures of said plate and threadedly engaged in said screw threaded opening, an enlargement on the upper end of said tube and engaged with the outern side of said plate, a spark producing means including a screw threaded .tubular member rotatably engaged in the other aperture of saidpplate, and a nut disposed be- *tween said plate and said body and having threaded engagement with said tubular member.V

largement on the upper end of said tube and enl gaged with the. outerside of said plate, a spark producing means including a screw threaded tubular member rotatably engaged in the other aperture of said plate, a nut disposed between said plate and said body and having threaded engagement with said tubular member, and a tubular portion extending from said nut and rotatably engaging in the other opening of said body.

3. In a lighter, a lighter body having openings therein, one of said openings being screw threaded, an apertured base plate adapted to be removably secured to said body lwith the apertures thereof in registration with said openings, a

screw threaded wick tube rotatably engaged in one'of the apertures of said plate and threadedly engaged in said screw threaded opening, an enlargement on the upper end of said tube and en-` gaged with the outer side of said plate, a spark producing means including a screw threaded tubular member rotatably engaged in the other aperture of said plate, anda nut disposed between said plate and said body and having threaded engagement with said tubular member, said nut having its periphery extended outwardly from between said body and plate. f 4. Ina lighter, a lightlerbody having openings therein, one of said openings being screw threaded, an apertured base plate adapted to be removably secured to said body with the apertures thereof in registration with said openings, a screw threaded wick tube rotatably engaged in one of the apertures of said plate and threadedly engaged in said screw threaded opening, an enlargement on the upper end otsaid tube and engaged with the outer side of said plate, a spark producing means including a screw threaded tubular member rotatably engaged in the 'other aperture of said plate, and a nut disposed between said plate and said body and having threaded engagement with said tubular member, said plate having a recess in which said nut is engaged.

5. In a 1ighter, alighter body having openings therein, one of said openings being screw threaded, an apertured base plate adapted to be removably secured to said body with the apertures thereof in registration with said openings, a screw'threaded wick tube rotatably engaged in one of the apertures of said plate and threadedly engaged in said screw threaded opening, an enlargement on the upper end of said tube and engaged with the outer side o! said plate, a spark producing means including a screw threaded tubular memberrotatably engaged in the other v-aperture .of said plate, a nut disposed between said plate and said body and having threaded engagement with said tubular member, a tubular portion extending from said nut and engaging in the other opening of said body, said spark producing means also including a biiurcated member carried by said tubular member, a wheel rotatably mounted in said bifurcated member, a snuning cap arranged to be' moved into and out of position of engagement 'with said enlargement, and a supporting member for said cap pivoted on the axis of said wheel and being frictionallyengaged with a side of said wheel.

6. In a lighter, a lighter body, having a portion with an aperture therein, a base plate on said portion and having an aperture therein, a spark producing vmeans including a screw threaded tubular member rotatably engaged in said aperture, and a nut disposed between said body and said base plate and being threadedly engaged with and holding said tubular` member on said portion, said nut having its periphery exposed at edges of said base plate.

7. A lighter head for a cigarette lighter including a base plate, spark producing means including a ilint, an abrader therefor, unitary means for holding the ilint and abrader, a spring for yieldingly pressing the ilint against the abrader, and means for housing said spring, said housing means further constituting means to detachably secure said unitary means to the base plate.

8. A lighter comprising a fuel reservoir and a lighter head, saidlighter head including spark producing means, operating Vmeans therefor, name producing means to be ignited thereby and a. holder for said name producing means,

means for detachably connecting the spark producing means and its operating means to the holder for the name producing means, and means for detachably connecting the holder for the name producingk means to the reservoir, thereby forming the sole means for uniting the lighter head to the reservoir.

'LESLIE K. LOEHIR.. 

